All Things Change
by CorruptCreature
Summary: A year after the war, Team Avatar stops at Master Piandao's home to settle who is the better fighter between Sokka and Zuko. But when the fight goes wrong, how will they change, and how does Sokka cope with his new identity? Minor Kataang. With some Zutoph fun thrown in, because why not? Rated for language and sexual themes in the third chapter.
1. Duels

**A/N: Hope you enjoy! Please review if you like what your about to read. As it boosts my self esteem. =) I also write free commissions too, so if you have an idea for a fanfic tell me in the comments or a PM to my page if you're so inclined. I always like new ideas so nothing is off limits as far as subject matter. Anyway here's the chapter.**

"So no firebending." Sokka said to Zuko, now facing him both their blades drawn. Sokka with his straight sword and Zuko with his ox tail sabres in either hand.

"That's what we agreed isn't it?" Zuko said turning his swords in either hand one eighty degree then quickly reversed direction to make sure his wrists were loose. Toph had wanted to see the two warriors go at it since Zuko had been on their side. Now that the war was over, Team avatar was essentially a group of ambassadors looking for a way to heal the pain and scars of the last hundred years. Wearing the customary colors of each of their native nations.

So once more Sokka and Katara had started wearing their light blue summer outfits. They decided to visit Master Piandao's home and training grounds for the day, especially now that Zuko was with them it welcomed a match between two of the master's most prolific students. Everyone met in the main courtyard, the square with grass designating the boundaries had been raised an entire foot and a half and each of Piandao's students stood at either end, Zuko dressed in his short sleeve dark red cotton tunic and pants for ease of movement and Sokka in his black robes Piandao had first given him along with his meteorite blade.

"This should prove interesting how the two styles do against one another. Zuko is a master of stealth, agility and also has a keen sense of his surroundings. While Sokka has a style that is fluid and calm, focused… it somewhat reminds me of a waterbender, the way he fights." The master swordsman nodded to Katara. "Wouldn't you agree Katara, being a master waterbender yourself?"

Katara furrowed her brow thinking on the matter. "I've never thought about it like that Master Piandao, perhaps… yes he could be described like that." The times that the brother and sister had dueled, he would dodge and elude her attacks almost effortlessly, but to describe him as waterbender may be overstepping things a bit.

Zuko on the other hand, she mused as she turned her attention back to the two boys. He was a different story, never wanting to practice with his swords and always chose to firebend instead, she couldn't figure out why this seemed suspicious, but it did. Given this she was eager almost as much as Toph for this match to take place.

This was a welcome distraction; especially since Aang had decided to go speak with Avatar Roku somewhere in the dense brush of the nearby bamboo forest, though he was still in sight and sitting at least five feet back from the grand arena directly behind Sokka, but far enough away that should anything happen, he wouldn't be disturbed.

Katara could see the top of Aang's head glowing, obviously in the avatar state. The current rough plan he five of them decided on was a multicultural hub of the world. It would be a city where all benders and non-benders could live in peace, and collaborate on ideas to better not just one nation but united and working as a whole. Aang and company was still deciding on a name.

"Too bad Aang's going to miss this." Toph said as she sat on a log next to Katara, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "Is it terrible that I don't know who to root for?" Toph asked as a matter of fact.

Katara began to explain, though truly she was glad they could have civil conversations now and enjoyed the young earthbender's company. "Not really each of them is a warrior of very high-."

"I wasn't basing it on skills…" Toph smirked devilishly. "But now that you mention it, I have been noticing how you look Sokka when we all do our free for all sparring." Toph just laughed knowing full well this wasn't true, while Katara was embarrassed but also angry, not knowing what sort of expression to hold on her face. Annoyed is what she settled on.

"Zuko came very close to burning Sokka, I was concerned." Katara debated.

"Even though you could have just healed him?" Toph knew she had the upper hand, getting Katara angry required almost no effort.

"Regardless of what you may think, Aang's my boyfriend." Katara said with an air of pride.

"Yes you remind us every night, I have yet to get a full night's sleep on this trip." Zuko chimed in, sounding somewhat disgruntled.

"Shut up." Katara mumbled.

"My thoughts exactly Sweetness, let's see what these two can do." Toph just punched Katara in the shoulder. Pointing at her eyes. Everyone just groaned, Katara doubly so as she rubbed her pained shoulder. Zuko turned back to his friend and current opponent.

"Silence." Master Piandao told them all firmly as he stood. "Zuko, Sokka." Piandao put his left hand and right fist together at his sternum, the thumb of his fist facing the sky and bowed to his two students, Zuko on his left and Sokka on his right.

Zuko just silently fitted his blades together into their deceivingly unified form with the blades facing the sky and bowed reverently in this same manner. Sokka did the same exact bow, the only similar characteristic of their training with Master Piandao, otherwise their fighting styles couldn't be more different. After bowing to their teacher, they bowed to one another. Piandao nodded in approval, watching how in sync they were when they bowed to one another almost on cue.

"Remember to listen, don't just watch your opponent, notice everything about him." The two boys nodded. Piandao, satisfied layed out the rules. "This will be a duel and evaluation of what you each were taught and how you've evolved beyond your training, Sokka of the southern tribe and Firelord Zuko." Piandao paused for a moment then continued. "The parameters of this duel are simple, no bending of any kind, everything else is permitted… simply use whatever means you have using your body and weapon as one to knock your opponent off the raised platform. Katara will supply any necessary healing either of you may require." At this Katara looked somewhat uneasy, as she was realizing one of them could lose a finger. "Am I understood?" Piandao finalized.

Sokka took his stance, his left foot behind his right and turned the left, the space between had to be a foot at least. His right hand held his sword at an almost lazy forty-five degree angle. Katara had noted this was his most effective stance during their one on one sparring matches. Sokka's chest was turned parallel to his front arm, making him a smaller target. The empty hand was making a simple open palm gesture to one side.

Zuko took a somewhat low stance parted his feet shoulder width apart, he bent his knees and put his back foot so that the big toe was lined up with the back heel of his front foot.

Zuko had one arm bent at the elbow with the inside of the curved blade facing him and the other blade was raised directly above his head with the inside curve and the crown of his head facing each other.

"Perfect, let's begin." Piandao started to step backwards still facing his students. And as soon as he took his final step off the two warriors clashed.

Sokka immediately charged Zuko closing the distance between them with ruthless efficiency. The firebender had simply put his swords together and dropped his head but beyond this he was unmoving and statuesque. Seemingly looking down at his cloth belt that held his scabbard, but the second Sokka thrusted forward Zuko simple turned his head the direction the sword was traveling with his chest parallel as well he outstretched his arms nailing Sokka in the sternum with the butt of one of his swords, knocking Sokka back, kicking up dust as he slide backwards at least fifteen feet.

"Damn, I guess I don't know who I'm up against." Sokka mumbled as he kicked his feet backwards over his head and his entire body followed suit into a backwards roll which put him into a crossed legged sitting position from which he quickly got to his feet by pushing down on either side of his ankles.

"Non-benders." Toph scoffed. "Always thinking they have the upper hand when we can't bend, not realizing our moves are easily used without even needing to bend."

But as he blinked to get his bearings back something happened, something he knew was impossible. Sokka blinked once and Zuko had somehow traversed from the far end of the square had occupied at the start, to the center of the left side without so much as the sound of a single footstep.

"How does he move so fast, I barely saw it sitting still?" Katara whispered to Piandao.

"Were your eyes watching his every move?" Piandao asked simply.

"I only looked away for a moment to see if Sokka was out of bounds." Katara asked, trying to make sense of what had just happened, even seeing it firsthand she had trouble with it.

"Oh come on! Hit him Sokka, he's open!" Toph yelled suddenly.

"That's all he needs, a single moment, a flash… watch again." Piandao directed her attention back to the arena with a turn of his own head.

Now fixated Katara surveyed Zuko, how he moved or didn't move rather. He was decisive and wasted no effort in each move he did. His face was blank too, unable to read what he was about to do next. Suddenly she remembered the rumors from a year ago when they were traveling through the earth kingdom to Ba Sing Sei. A warrior who you saw and then didn't, rumored to be just a mischievous spirit or someone's imagination playing tricks with the light of their campfire, that is until they noticed provisions missing.

In this moment Katara knew her brother wasn't fighting any ordinary fire nation noble who could have been trained by Piandao as part of his grooming for his eventual position as Fire Lord. Zuko did all his training in secret, so no one suspected him as the Blue Spirit!

**A/N: Next chapter soon to come, check back in a day or so! Inspiration for this fic is Lifeline by Imogen Heap.**


	2. The Other Side

Zuko simply stood as before, stone faced and unmoving. At his wits end Sokka charged once again, thinking the physical and mental strain it took to do the few moves Zuko had done had begun to get make him tire.

"How are you doing this?" Sokka yelled, now swinging toward the firebender's neck. As he arced his sword in the style of an unarmed right hook, as he saw Zuko's face unchanged as the sword was mere inches from his face, as Zuko just calmly stared into Sokka's eyes, the water tribe warrior knew then he'd made a deadly mistake. Then Zuko moved faster than before.

The young firebender with both swords joined in his left hand he moved his free right hand upward, toward the broad side of Sokka's sword Katara thought he was simply going to bat it away the back of his hand, but then Zuko angled his hand at forty five degrees with the palm facing up as soon as the back of his hand touched metal. This small snap of the hand made the blade fly out of Sokka's hand upwards for about two feet and then stick in the grass, just five feet away from where they currently stood.

Sokka attempted to kick Zuko's knee with a quick low kick. Prepared, Zuko simple stepped back a few inches. And before Sokka could even completely extend his kick, Zuko lifted his right left foot bent forward at the waist and knocked Sokka to the grass with a scorpion kick to the face.

This knocked Sokka backwards at least eight feet. Katara, Piandao and Toph got to their feet; curious as to whether he needed help. He had landed near Aang and was now slouched against his back. They both of them now unmoving, Aang of course had not reacted. Then Katara's eyes went wide; Sokka's eyes began to glow as clearly as the Avatar's.

"Sokka." Zuko rushed over to his friend to help him up.

"Don't touch him!" Katara shouted startling everyone at once.

"What…why?" Zuko asked stepping back.

"You touch him, and you'll get lost in the spirit world too." Katara told him. "We have to wait for them to come back."

"Easy enough right?" Toph asked.

"Except Aang doesn't know he's there." Katara spoke grimly, and everyone knew she was right.

"Man that was a hard hit Zuko." Sokka said as he stood up and bent backwards trying to crack his back. "Nobody get up of course, I'm fine." He said smugly. He listened for a moment, as he heard nothing except his own voice.

He stood straight and looked around. "Okay, this is officially too weird." He then saw a stream of golden glowing turtle-ducks swim past.

Suddenly inside Sokka's mind went wild with questions of why he was back in the dense damp forest of the swamp, why was he all blue and transparent, why his shoes and feet weren't soaked through, and just where to everyone disappeared. Despite this, all that he managed to utter in his stupor was. "Well you don't see that everyday." Sokka calmed himself, and thought through his current predicament.

"Have to find Aang, but where?" Sokka's mind then flashed with the center of the swamp. "The tree!" It was a hunch, but it was all he had to go on to find his friend. Sokka's next challenge was figuring out which way he needed to go. With that in mind he climbed the nearest tree.

Tediously touching it in case something else weird happened. When his suspicions were sated, he began his climb. The willow was tall and vine constantly grabbed his ponytail, pulling him further and further down the trunk until he had to restart his climb at the base.

Finally reaching the tallest branch he could, Sokka instantly saw the massive willow, it's roots alone looked more mountainous than he remembered. Luckily the base of the tree seemed close, only an hour's walk or so away.

He had been wrong, it took another half hour than he previously judged. Luckily it seemed that fatigue held no bearing in this world…a discovery made by jogging for the first few minutes of his journey.

In any case, he reached the roots and began to climb. About where the trunk met the bramble of roots he saw the familiar bald head of his friend, who had his backed turned and instead was speaking to two of the past avatars he recognized as Roku and Kyoshi, the other two he didn't know at all, but the man was obviously from the northern water tribe and had a firm disposition that reminded him of his father. The other Avatar, judging by her robed appearance was a female airbender in her mid twenties Sokka guessed.

As Sokka approached he heard Aang's voice. "Of course they'll be opposition to such a concept, tensions are high with Earth Kingdom citizens as well as those in the Fire Nation."

"Aang, it seems your friend has stumbled upon us." Roku began motioning towards Sokka with an open hand.

"Wha- Sokka!" Aang got up and hugged the warrior without reserve. When Aang released him, Sokka bowed his head with respect as the current Avatar took his seat. Sokka sat next to him. "Sokka, these are the two avatars from before Avatar Kyoshi."

The watertribe born Avatar held his arm out as if to shake Sokka's hand but instead Sokka stepped forward and the two grasped the elbow of the other, a customary sign of welcome among the warriors of the both tribes. "Young tribesman, I'm Kuruk of the northern pole." Sokka turned his head as he saw the airbender bow her head slightly then speak in a very collected tone, very matter of fact but not firm at all. "I am Avatar Yang-Chen, the Avatar preceding Kuruk and 400 years before Avatar Aang."

"We should perhaps continue this discussion later." Kyoshi stated simply, who seemed annoyed at the interruption. "Sokka." She added. "I am far too old for you." Aang, dumbfounded by her words, looked to Sokka, who had been staring at Avatar Kyoshi's bosom for the last few seconds.

"I'm sorry Avatar Kyoshi, it's just… my girlfriend is a Kyoshi warrior and I haven't seen her in a while." Aang just slapped his palm to his face in disbelief.

"I understand, the face paint is designed to be alluring to catch a would be enemy off guard, especially men." Avatar Kyoshi smiled curtly.

Roku cleared his throat in order to change the subject.

"Yes well, Aang you should probably return to the physical world with Sokka… let us know if you need anything else, we'll be here." With that the four past avatars bowed in their own customary way as they all stood, along with Aang and Sokka.

Yang-chen put her hands together as if by prayer, and bowed her head. Avatar Kuruk made a fist with his right hand and placed it over his heart, with the knuckles facing out. Kyoshi placed her left hand vertically over her sternum with the palm facing toward her right side.

While Avatar Roku put his left fist and open palmed right hand at him sternum and extended his elbows out slightly while bowing his head.

Gradually they faded away as if brought on by a mirage, Aang turned to his friend. "How'd you get here anyway?"

As they began their descent down the tree's roots Sokka replied. "I got knocked out by Zuko." Aang just laughed at his friend, always amazed at how he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A/N: It's 1:30 in the morning, i'm going to bed. Next chapter soon to come. =)


	3. Changes

Back in the real world it was nightfall and while Master Piandao, Zuko and Katara sat motionless, waiting for an absolution, Toph was pacing and had been for the past ten minutes, what was she supposed to do? Lay down like the rest of them? Be calm about her friend being eaten alive by spirits. "This is bullshit! Why isn't either of them waking up?" Toph asked almost yelling.

"As Katara has said Toph." Piandao explained. "It will take time." He motioned calmly to sit next to him. "Why don't you rest, you're legs must be tired from pacing so furiously."

"There has to be something we can do." Toph replied. She then had a light bulb go off in her head. She promptly took her horse stance so her head was hovering about Sokka's.

Katara was perplexed as to what her friend was planning, and gave a warning. "Just don't try and sha-."

"WAKE UP!" Toph yelled louder than even Katara on a bad day. Her voice carried all the way down to the nearby shops just closing their doors for the night. Even to birds in the trees beyond the small village, who promptly scattered at the girl's sudden noise.

Toph had exhausted her supply of air and her chest now heaved up and down quickly as she panted. Katara just sighed heavily at the earthbender's bull-headed solution.

"That won't help, they can't hear you."

"I wouldn't be surprised, She probably ruptured their eardrums." Zuko said off-handedly, blowing the loose strands of hair out of his face.

Katara glared at him as he just sat there, leaning his head on one hand lazily. Katara then got up and walked over to Toph, knowing how to shut Toph up and get back at Zuko for his insensitivity. Katara put her hands around Toph's small waist and lifted the earthbender off her feet just barely, as the girl was somehow much heavier than she appeared.

"Hey! What the hell Katara, put me down. I'm gonna give you to three to put me down or-" Toph was then set down in Zuko's lap. Who now looked like a kid who got caught red handed drawing on the walls. "Oh I see." Toph's expression was immediate pacification, as though she'd been hit in the head.

"I am very uncomfortable." Zuko stated in the most embarrassed tone Katara had ever heard. All the while thinking like a mantra, _she's 13, she's 13, she's 13._ Toph then began moving her hips from side to side, with her butt quickly following the rythm. Zuko then went wide-eyed. "What are you doing!" He suddenly yelled trying to push her off of himself.

"I wouldn't say you're _that_ uncomfortable." Toph stated, grabbing hold of his thighs to keep from sliding off her newfound joy.

Katara's mouth then dropped to the floor. "Zuko are-." She was unable to get the words out, clearing her throat in embarrassment. "Are you… enjoying yourself?" She finally got out.

"I'd say so." Toph looked like she was about to start drooling.

Piandao was now visibly chuckling, though still trying suppress it.

Zuko went pale, "it's a natural reaction!" He tried to defend himself in a way he actually didn't know how to, he didn't have his swords or his physical prowess to rely on for help, it was just Zuko, his mouth and whatever words came to his mind.

"But she's three years younger than you, not even of legal marrying age." Katara smirked. "How could you take advantage of her like this." Katara asked trying to keep from laughing harder than she had ever in her life.

Zuko just threw his hands up in answer to her accusation, trying to disprove that he had nothing to do with the girl now grinding every which way she could in his lap.

"Well done Zuko." Piandao started to clap lightly at his former student's quick thinking.

"It would be no different were you in her place!" Zuko spat bitterly. Now trying again to displace the earthbender from her perch.

Katara started to laugh in disbelief. "I'm not that easy Zuko… you wouldn't have a chance." Katara then looked away somewhat embarrassed herself now.

"You might be cute together." Toph giggled, not at all serious. Just playing off of her two friends altered emotions. "Twisting the sheets, writhing in each gentle thru-." Toph smirked as she was cut off.

"Shut up!" Katara and Zuko said in unison. Katara then turned as she heard Sokka groan, Toph rushed to his side and helped him to his feet. As Aang's eyes and tattoos stopped glowing, he grasped the back of his neck. And Katara knew that the collision registered with the Avatar.

"Aang I'm so glad you found him." Katara hugged her lover then letting him drink from her waterskin pouch. She then put it back over her shoulder.

"Yes yes, we're both fine." Sokka began dismissively. "Zuko, round two?" He turned to his friend, who was still reeling from his ordeal with Toph and Katara, was at a loss for words instead only a choking sound came as he opened his mouth to reply.

"C'mon, I'm okay." He leaned over to Katara Toph and whispered in her ear. "He must feel bad about what happened." Toph just snickered lightly, not wanting to spoil the irony by explaining what actually happened.

Sokka then took a couple steps and pulled his sword from the ground where it had stuck, now caked with loose blades of grass and bits of mud at the tip. He simply swung the blade in a diagonal downward strike, cleaning it instantly.

Katara was knocked down to the ground. Aang quickly helped her up. "Aang what the hell? Stop messing around." Katara scolded the confused Avatar.

"It wasn't him Katara." Piandao began. "Look." Piandao pointed as Sokka took his formal stance in the grass, the dew raised off the leaves creating little beads of water of various sizes, no smaller than a snowpea.

"Gah, spirits followed us Aang! Stay back, you'll get nothing from me!" As Sokka swung in an outward arc with his sword, the balls joined into a long three six foot water whip and arced towards Aang and Katara, who with only a second or two to react held her hands vertically palm to palm in front of her and caught the whip as it compressed into a sphere about the size of a watermelon. "Sokka stop moving!"

"What why?" Sokka looked dumbfounded lowing his arms.

Katara dropped her hands and the water ball disintegrated and was soaked back up by the moist ground.

"Aang." Katara turned to the Avatar quickly, a look of great concern on her face. "What happened?" She asked.

Then Aang remembered. "Avatar Kuruk, they greeted each other, touched arms…" Aang talked faster than usual, searching every possibility for an answer. "Sokka's spiritual energy might have been touched by his."

"Wait… I must be confused, are you saying-" Aang didn't let her finish before confirming what he just theorized.

"Yes." Aang nodded. "Sokka is now a waterbender."

"He's still a pushover." Toph exclaimed in a fit of laughter.

"He won't be after I train him over the next three days." Katara shot back proudly.

**A/N: As soon as I can I'll update. Have patience. =)**


	4. Basics

**A/N:Sorry for wait guys, I know I said the next chapter would be in wednesday but I had writer's block and had to rewrite the damn chapter several times. I don't think it's too short, I know when I read other people's fanfiction I like chapters to be long enough to take at least an hour to read... but perhaps I'm over thinking an unimportant detail and you guys will be happy with the length. =) Enjoy!**

"Flimsy." Toph said crossing her arms.

Sokka's face now had a look somewhere between rage and annoyance. "You never called Katara flimsy when she's waterbender this entire time." Pointing to his sister who stood directly behind her.

"She's a girl Sokka, she's supposed to be flimsy." Toph explained.

"You're a girl too you know!" Katara called sarcastically.

"I'm an earthbender, and earthbenders are NOT flimsy!" Toph shouted now on the defense.

Katara had decided to do defense and offence drills with Sokka using only his waterbending. How it would work is each of the four benders would be on one side of Sokka and Sokka would be in the middle, with Aang only being able to use airbending. Going clockwise each bender would alternate with either defending or attacking. Sokka's goal was simple, break through each elemental barrier six attacks or less and knock the defender down, or the next bender going clockwise would attack and Sokka would have to defend himself using what he'd learned so far after the first day.

It was tough, but Sokka had said he wanted the crash course, in that moment Katara remembered his exact words, "It'd easy to just throw some magic water around."

"Sokka, you ready?" Katara asked wanting to get started. Her brother nodded, "I'll start us off then." Katara extended a sheet of ice sphere all around her with the water from her waterskin about six feet high and about an inch thick, she then stood poised to defend herself, if he managed to break through before he used his six allotted attacks. It reminded Zuko instantly of the technique used against him in the Northern Water Tribe's spirit oasis.

Sokka, had two giant clay jugs by his either side, filled with about eight gallons each. He began with forming two water balls, and with a simple palm strike launched both at his sister's protective shell, they broke against the surface with two pitiful plops. "Again." Katara instructed.

Sokka now with determination in his eyes now bended a short strand of water and flowing through the moves he was taught with a simple back and forth sway in his palm strikes to either side of his body, he started delivering blows in an "X" shape. He was clearly having trouble as the strand wasn't robust with much water, the whip he'd made was thin and long but didn't have the density to do much damage at all, and the swiping motion that he had set upon was only barely scratching the surface. Finally with his last move, he did one final swipe, which barely improved upon his progress.

In his small triumph Sokka had forgotten Zuko was next in line and began attacking with fireball after fireball, to which Sokka lifted up sheets of water to extinguish the flames, but Zuko was quick… and one of Zuko's fireballs punched right through his friend's defenses knocking him to the ground.

Sokka just looked at Zuko despairingly as the firebender helped him to off the stone floor.

"This isn't fair, you guys are all masters of your bending, how am I supposed to break through that?" Sokka asked pointing to his sister's ice cage. At this Katara started walking forward as the ice instantly turned back to liquid.

"Remember how easy waterbending was for Aang in the beginning?" Katara asked, kneeling down to pick her brother from the floor.

"How could I forget." Sokka replied dully as he rose to his feet along with his sister.

"He was so overconfident, that when he started earthbending he was thinking it would be as natural to him as waterbending." Katara saw an immediate response in Sokka and his eyes turned fiery with a renewed confidence.

"It's the same idea with me, waterbending is just my natural opposite." Sokka stated to himself looking at his feet pensively. He then exhaled slowly, as though he was letting Katara's words fully sink in. Then he understood.

"Katara can you put up your ice bubble again." She obeyed, bending her entire pouch dry and erecting almost the exact ice sphere she had used before. He then took a stance, and moved through his stances, taking steps forward by arcing one foot barely off the ground in a half circular motion outward as he swayed his hands back and forth as before.

The water reacted immediately and he grabbed the whip with a single hand and with a reverse grip on the strand he did what looked like a horizontal elbow strike, but Piandao and Zuko immediately recognized it as a simple reverse grip strike, as Sokka's fist that clutched the whip came to rest near his opposite shoulder Zuko noticed that the move could be applied to his friend's sword just as easily.

The whip followed close behind his move, and seemed to slash with an almost explosive force as it clashed with Katara's ice sphere, blowing a hole in the center with about a three-foot radius. He then put his hands in front of his chest and swirled his hands horizontally with the palms facing each other and then pushed toward the ground. The water obeyed and returned to the ceramic jugs it had been retrieved from.

While everyone else gave high fives and cheered, Katara simply nodded and hugged Sokka. When she released him and the noise died down she asked. "How did you pull that off? I haven't even taught you the water whip yet."

"I remembered Zuko had told me of how he could use his swords in conjunction with his firebending for better control and power, I thought the same could be true for my sword techniques as well." Sokka told her proudly.

"You could say… he opened his water chakra." Toph laughed. To his surprise Zuko joined her and after a minute they were both hysterical rolling on the ground clutching their ribs.

Katara shook her head disappointedly as though her friend was suppose to be more mature. Turning back to Sokka, she just looked at him warmly with a smile and thought that finally, they had something to share, something in common.

"Sokka, I think you're real training's about to start." She said with an approving nod.

**A/N: New chapter soonish, I promise.**


	5. I'll Miss Him

**A/N: Sorry for the late update guys, things most unexpected happened. I'm back now. This is the conclusion. Hope you enjoy. Review and let me know what you think.**

Sokka opened his eyes and yawned. It was that sweet moment before he was fully awake and his problems and challenges of the day hadn't been recalled just yet. He rotated to one side of his bed… one of simple make from iron but the mattress was one of the softest that he'd slept on in his life, Piandao was more than happy to lend out a number of guest rooms in his mansion to Sokka and his friends.

Though he imagined that the royal palace in the Fire Nation had some comfy beds. He imagined how big the beds must be just for one Fire Nation royal's chambers. He imagined the pillows plush enough that you didn't need two to have adequate cushioning for your head.

He started to drool over how you could have food brought to your chambers and eat boar-Q-pine dumplings all day if you wished, sleep all day in the soft warm sheets. _Be like sleeping inside a freshly baked loaf of bread. Could sleep forever._ He mused as he began to drift back to sleep, lulled by his fantasies. Then he remembered what day it was and his eyes snapped open and immediately he was wide awake with excitement. _It's today! _His mind screamed.

He then threw on his blue watertribe tunic and drawstring pants and headed straight for the training grounds. As he rounded the corner a water whip clipped his hair, the bits falling to the ground uselessly. Sokka reacted by remotely grabbing the water whip away from his attacker, who turned out to be Aang. Though to both their surprises, Sokka's guidance of the water weakened suddenly and the long strand disintegrated and wetted the hardwood floor. Aang just bended it back into the nearby flower vase he'd borrowed it from. They both seemed to shrug it off as a beginner's mishap.

"Did Katara ask you to test me?" He asked the avatar walking over to where the avatar blocked his path, the edge of the stairs that lead down to the courtyard.

"She had said last night that you had improved dramatically, I had to see for myself." Aang laughed, as he was proven right. He jumped up on his air scooter and motioned for his friend to follow him with a wave of his hand. "She's waiting for you, so you're officially starting your first day of ice forms, is that right?"

"Yeah, she must tell you everything." Sokka pondered a bit as they descended down the stairs. "You know I'm glad you're with her, I couldn't have chosen a better person for her." Aang just smiled at the comment as they walked further down towards the courtyard, the two boys heard Katara and Zuko grunting in between the clang of Zuko's swords.

Aang just grabbed Sokka's wrist and smiled excitedly. "Aang wha-" The young warrior then saw where Aang's attention had gone. "Aang please no." Without a second thought Aang dragged him out a nearby window down to the ground two stories below laughing all the way as Sokka screamed Aang's name.

Katara and Zuko's attention shifted, Zuko just calmly sheathed his swords and walked slowly over to where his two friends had landed while Katara came running over to her brother. "Are you excited to get started?" Katara asked in a very straightforward tone that didn't seem to fit her otherwise cheerful words.

Sokka picked himself up and heard his back crack a couple times, the fall had not been as kind to him as Aang. After he had dusted himself off, grumbling about airbenders as he went. Sokka nodded enthusiastically when he finally registered what his sister had asked. "Yeah of course I've been waiting for this since yesterday."

"Good." Katara's hands then moved in a motion he hadn't been trained in yet, it looked like waterbending but seemed somehow thicker and slower moving than what he'd been taught the last two days, and before he knew it his feet were frozen to the ground, encased in two cones of ice about three inches thick.

"You're task is simple, turn the ice to water and bend it into this skin." She tossed it toward her brother's chest. In his attempt to catch it Sokka juggled it between hands and lost his balance, he fell forward and one side his face was all that was supporting his weight, this left his butt presented to everyone within the courtyard.

"You'll never master waterbending laying on your face." Toph's voice rang out. Toph then spanked him with a grin of utter satisfaction. "But I don't mind if you stay that way."

"Get up Sokka." Katara told her brother sternly. "Toph's right."

Sokka then used his hands to spring his torso up and he caught his balance once more. "Did you learn to bend ice this way too?"

Katara just nodded. "Pakku assumed we knew nothing and taught me and Aang from scratch, to better facilitate us being able to teach others." Katara explained. "Now bend the ice." She then started to move her hands in the same manner as before. In an instant she unfroze the ice shackles into a puzzle the water crept back up his legs, not soaking through the material of his shoes and pants but simply gliding along the surface of the cloth, which froze without warning. Sokka's face had a hard look of determination. He did the move almost exactly as his sister did.

The movements were sharper and had clear pauses and abrupt sudden stops, making the movements seem sharp.

After two and three and four tries, Sokka's determination waned, Katara knew how he felt as she had the same trouble when trying to learn the water whip on her own.

It was strange however; she had never known her brother to break in the face of a challenge. Suddenly he started to cry silently, angrily clenching his fists, disappointed in himself. "Why can't I do it?" Sokka asked bitterly looking towards his feet.

Zuko suddenly remembered his same words when his uncle tried to teach him to bend lightning. The firebender just furrowed his brow. "You'll get it." He said.

"You'll practice the whole day Sokka, you can't expect to get it on the first try." Katara explained as she released his feet and bended the ice back into water, then bended it into the waterskin she had tossed to him that he had dropped. "Try bending the water out of the skin and then into ice, maybe best to start slow with this portion of your training."

He did as instructed and the water flowed out of the skin like a river and he formed it into an orb, which Katara had said were always easier to learn with than a long whip like strand, as you only had to focus your chi in a single spot as opposed to along a distance of a couple feet or more.

Then the water orb disintegrated. Soaking into the ground, as it had before when Aang had caught Sokka by the stairs.

"What happened?" She asked furrowing her brow in confusion.

As Sokka attempted to bend the water from it's puddle like state Sokka and Aang instantly noticed something. As Sokka attempted to retrieve the water, the water stirred less and less with each attempt. "Why can't-" Sokka finally threw his hands down when the water didn't respond at all. "Now I can't bend at all, great… just great."

"That's odd, there's no eclipse… Aang do you think one of his charkas might be out of balance?" Katara said as she went through every probable explanation.

"Maybe his self confidence is to blame?" Zuko added.

"I don't think so, maybe-" Suddenly Aang's eyes began to glow, and every possible water source swirled around Aang, the water out of both Katara's and Sokka's water skins, the pot of water set nearby for drinking, even the sweat from Zuko's face from sparring earlier.

"I'm thirsty." Zuko stated as he and the rest of his friends gapped at what now became a tornado of water. It ended suddenly and splashed to the ground and Aang's form was replaced with that of a water tribe warrior wearing a seal-wolf's headdress and dark colored water tribe garb, his feet obscured by the figure eight of water that now orbited them.

Katara's face then went pale and she bowed clumsily. Though her tone had an air of respect and admiration she rarely ever used "Avatar Kuruk." Katara began. "We weren't expecting you." She dropped to her knees and bowed her head.

"I kind of guessed." Kuruk answer dryly. "Sokka, I imagine you know why I'm here." Sokka nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"I've lost my bending." Sokka looked to his feet. "Or that's how it appears."

"That's not entirely accurate." Kuruk began. "The energy I accidentally merged with your own has been used up." Kuruk said simply.

"What?" Katara and Sokka said in unison. "So my bending is just…gone?" Sokka asked; his voice seemed to be pleading for some answer. His head began searching the ground as he searched for a positive resolution. "Aang can restore it though, right?" Katara asked. "Please?"

"I'm afraid not, unless it was a part of your original energy, it is not in his power to restore." Kuruk told them with regret in his voice. "And coming into contact with me again will not work a second time… I'm sorry Sokka."

"But it was mine, I felt it." Sokka said quietly hugging his sister tighter as the Avatar's words sunk in. "We shared something… for the first time." Katara hugged her brother as he started to drop to his knees. "I was a bender, something she was too, she wasn't just my sister anymore."

"Bending is indeed a deep spiritual connection, doubly so with siblings… but there's nothing to be done." Kuruk said half-heartedly, knowing how hard it must be for the brother and sister before him. "I'm sorry it turned out this way, I must go, the toll on Aang's body and spirit for me to fully manifest like this." Kuruk searched for the right words and gruffly said. "Please forgive the pain I have caused you both… what happened was an accident." And then the water rose up in a torrential pillar and then dropped suddenly and soaked the ground at everyone's feet.

Leaving Aang knelt on one knee and his hands in front of him flat on the ground. He immediately crawled over to Sokka and Katara who were still collapsed on the stone beneath them. The avatar just looked at his friend and lover, forlorn at their suffering.

Sokka just looked up and immediately pulled Aang into the fray, the three embraced as Aang whispered that he was sorry and that he'd promise they would never know suffering again. Then he promised.

Zuko most of all knew that the avatar kept his promises.

**A/N: The chapter was inspired by Birdy's version of "Skinny Love". Also if the chapter title is confusing, it's Katara thinking she'll miss the man Sokka had become since becoming a waterbender.**


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